


Sparring and Its Consequences

by ImperialKatwala



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: And Techno's doing his best but he's out of his element here, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Happy Ending, I am SOFT for mentor!Techno, Tommy's angry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27275749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperialKatwala/pseuds/ImperialKatwala
Summary: Techno was brought to Pogtopia with the promise to train Tommy and Wilbur. Let's see how that pans out.Or, how a mentor relationship translates to feelings of betrayal.
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit
Comments: 12
Kudos: 274





	Sparring and Its Consequences

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this to be compatible with my Techno-centric fic, The Festival, but they focus on completely separate events so you don't need to read one to understand the other!

Tommy yelped as his side made contact with the hard-packed earth. Again.

"Keep your stance wide," Techno instructed, his voice as calm as ever. He was far too relaxed for someone in the middle of a sparring match, in Tommy's opinion. He was barely even out of breath.

Tommy, on the other hand, was breathing hard as he forced himself back up, his grip on his sword painfully tight. "Wide. Right."

"Not like that. And you've stopped paying attention to your grip again."

"Then how am I supposed to do it??"

Techno sighed, then crossed the training circle to Tommy and nudged his leg with a foot. "Move this foot here. No, back a little further."

It took some more nudging and some grumbled cursing, but eventually Tommy was standing in a way Techno deemed 'good enough,' and his grip on the sword felt a lot more natural.

Techno nodded in approval. "Better. Now let's see if you can hit me."

He hadn't moved back across the circle yet. Tommy grinned and swung full-force with his wooden training sword, aiming for Techno's ribs.

It was insulting, almost, how easily Techno parried his strike. "Try again."

Tommy did. That one got deflected as well.

"You're telegraphing your movements too much," Techno told him. "Smaller and quicker movements are better for you."

"For me? Not for you?"

Techno parried again. "I'm stronger than you. If you make this into a strength contest, you're going to lose. Play to your strengths."

That did make sense... And, watching as Techno blocked his strikes, Tommy was sort of starting to see what he meant. Big, aggressive swings were almost _tapped_ aside, while his faster attacks would almost make contact on occasion. He started trying other strikes, looking for something Techno had trouble blocking.

Techno gave him a nod as he parried a thrust. Another gentle tap on the leg reminded him to watch his stance. "You learn fast."

"Got to! How else am I supposed to be better than you?" Tommy demanded with a grin.

"You're not. I am obviously superior, you tiny child."

Oh, it was _on._ Tommy kept attacking, watching closely for an opening.

There.

He feinted a strike to the side, the first time he'd done that this fight, then switched to a thrust when Techno went to block him.

The strike went under Techno's guard and made contact, hitting him in the ribs.

For a moment, both fighters were frozen, staring at the sword. Then a lopsided half-grin appeared on Techno's face. He looked genuinely _proud._ "Not bad."

Tommy _beamed._

"My turn now."

... Oh no.

* * *

Tommy was so tired.

"You sure you want to do this, Tommy?" Techno asked, half hesitant, half condescending. Only Techno could pull off a tone like that.

He was just so _tired._ His throat was raw from screaming, his wounds still stung from being chased out of Manberg (again), and his heart was _aching._ Tubbo had _died,_ right there, right in front of him, and he'd been powerless to stop it. The knowledge that he'd respawn hadn't helped. Even seeing him alive and mostly alright hadn't helped soothe the frantic, agonized terror that still clawed at his throat. Tommy didn't know _what_ he wanted anymore; he just wanted to make the whole universe _pay_ for daring to hurt his best friend. And unfortunately, Technoblade was the best stand-in for the universe that he had.

"You killed Tubbo," Tommy reminded him, anger bubbling in his chest like water boiling on a stove. He glanced at Wilbur, who looked positively _gleeful,_ then back at Techno. "I'm not doing this for Wilbur. None of this is to do with Wilbur anymore. You just... You betrayed us, Techno."

Techno's expression was unreadable. He had shed his cape and crown, and he was standing there almost relaxed, just like he did every time they sparred. (Tommy _refused_ to acknowledge the small signs of how tense Techno was, how uncertain his stance was. That _didn't matter_ right now.)

Small and quick movements.

Tommy didn't let himself take a deep breath to steel his nerves. He didn't let himself hesitate or think too much about this. Instead, he darted forward and punched Techno right in the jaw.

Techno rocked back for a moment in surprise, then surged forward to begin the fight in earnest.

The two traded blows to the sound of Niki's protests, Tubbo's warnings of incoming strikes, and Wilbur's giddy encouragement.

Tommy ducked out of the way of a particularly nasty right hook, knowing it would be a bad idea to block it.

Don't make this into a contest of strength. You'll lose.

Techno's fist connected with the side of Tommy's head, and stars exploded into his vision. How strong _was_ he?? That had felt more like a sledgehammer blow than a punch!

"C'mon, Techno, hit him again!" Wilbur crowed from the sidelines, and it was only after Tommy blinked away the bright spots and refocused that he noticed Techno had backed off, as if this was a sparring match.

For some reason, that got under Tommy's skin, and he started attacking again with a snarl.

They traded a few more blows, and then Tommy felt it. A light tap to his leg.

He automatically corrected his stance before freezing, realizing what had just happened.

Techno was frozen too, eyes wide, as though it had been an automatic gesture he'd only just registered. It probably had been. He probably hadn't even thought about it. It had probably been an accident.

Why did that make Tommy so _angry?_

"This isn't a sparring match, Techno," Tommy spat, that pot of anger in his chest finally boiling over. "If we're going to fight, then _fight me!_ "

Techno stared at him for a moment longer, his eyes unusually expressive. He looked... scared, almost. Unsettled. Sad. Then he gave Tommy a small nod, that expressionless mask reappeared, and Technoblade began to fight in earnest.

The fight didn't last long after that.

* * *

Tommy sat at the top of his intimidation tower, staring off toward Manberg. He could just make out the torches lining the border from up here, especially as the sun set and darkness crept across the SMP.

It had been a few days since that disaster of a festival. Quackity had joined them now, and Pogtopia was more active than it had ever been. The ravine looked alive, now, full of people with a purpose instead of two lost exiles.

And that was great. It was! But Tommy still felt... off. Like he'd been jostled out of place and couldn't quite settle down again. So he'd come up here for some peace and quiet.

Stars began to appear as the sun dipped further below the horizon. Tommy tilted his head back, staring up at the tiny points of light, tracing patterns with his eyes.

It was so still up here. No ambient noise, no playful teasing, no arguing.

Tommy took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Yeah. This is what he'd needed.

The water elevator bubbled behind him, and he heard someone step out, boots thumping against the cobbles. The person stood there for a moment, not saying anything.

"What is it?" Tommy asked, his voice barely above a murmur. He didn't bother to turn around.

After a beat, the newcomer walked up and set a bowl of stew on the parapet next to him.

Tommy glanced over and had to fight back a wave of snarled-up emotion he still didn't know how to deal with. "Techno."

"Niki made dinner," Techno explained, waving to the bowl. "She didn't want you going hungry."

Tommy gave him a small nod and took the bowl.

Techno nodded back, then just sort of... stood there awkwardly. Like he had more to say but didn't know how to say any of it.

As he took a sip of stew (delicious, as was everything Niki made), Tommy wondered if he was feeling that same awful fishhooks-in-your-heart knot-in-your-gut tug of _something_ every time he looked at Tommy that Tommy felt every time he looked at Techno.

If he was, he was even worse at dealing with it than Tommy. Which was saying a lot, since all Tommy had done was shove it away.

"Thanks," Tommy offered.

"No problem."

"... How'd you know I'd be up here?"

Techno shrugged. "You looked like you wanted to get away, and you're proud of this monstrosity, so it made sense."

"Monstrosity??" Tommy squeaked indignantly. It felt good to be angry over something inconsequential. He hadn't had a chance to do that recently. "I'll have you know the intimidation tower is a work of art-"

Techno snorted. "Sure, whatever you say."

"You helped me get the cobble for it! You don't get to criticize it!"

"It's ugly. I'll criticize it all I want."

Tommy pouted and gave him a smack on the arm. "Leave my tower alone, it's beautiful."

"Nah."

They fell into a semi-comfortable silence, then, as Tommy kept eating his stew and Techno leaned against the parapet, staring out toward the distant lights of Manberg.

"I don't think I said this," Techno said suddenly, almost clumsily. Like he was completely out of his element. "But you fought well in the pit."

Anger flared, and Tommy put the bowl down a little harder than strictly necessary. "Yeah, you showed that real well when you corrected my stance and backed off to let me recover."

"Tommy-"

"I don't need your _pity,_ Technoblade!" Tommy snapped, finally giving a voice to feelings he didn't know he'd had. "I don't need you to _baby_ me or treat me like I'm below you! I wanted to fight you like an equal and you treated it like a sparring match!"

Techno stared at him, wearing that same wide-eyed expression he'd had in the pit. "What?"

"You heard me."

"I..." Techno seemed legitimately lost for words. "Tommy, that's... That's not what happened."

Tommy glared at him, anger roiling in his stomach. "Then what happened??"

Techno didn't say anything for several long seconds. He was obviously weighing his words, trying to find the best way to say what he wanted to say. "I don't think of you as below me. I know I joke about it sometimes, but you're... I'm... I don't know. Just- I don't pity you. What happened in the pit was habit, not... trying to belittle you, or downplay the fight, or anything like that."

"Felt like it."

"And I didn't realize that. I'm sorry."

Tommy blinked, his anger vanishing like a candle flame in a breeze. "... What?"

Techno tilted his head slightly to one side. "I'm sorry I didn't realize. What about it?"

"It's just... You hadn't apologized yet." Tommy had only heard Techno apologize a handful of times since he'd gotten to Pogtopia, and none of them had been about the festival. None had been about Tubbo, or the pit, or anything.

For a moment, Techno was quiet again. "... Tommy, do you think I'm not sorry for killing Tubbo?"

"You didn't act like you were."

"I am. I'm sorry I killed him." Techno's gaze was fixed on the horizon. "I still think it was the best choice, and I would probably do it again, but that doesn't mean I'm not sorry."

Tommy felt some of the fishhooks-and-knots feeling unravel. It wasn't gone, not completely, but... he hadn't realized how much he needed to hear that.

"... I forgive you."

Techno glanced over at him, startled. "You do?"

Tommy nodded. "It isn't okay, and I'm still upset about it, but I forgive you. Or I want to try forgiving you, anyway."

"... Thanks."

They watched the horizon together for a few minutes. Just them, the stars, and the far-away flicker of flames. It was peaceful in a different way when you had company; it wasn't as lonely.

Then Techno turned to leave. He ruffled Tommy's hair. "If you want tips on hand-to-hand, I'm going to be training tomorrow morning. You can come join if you want."

"Really?" The question was out of Tommy's mouth before he could stop it.

Techno glanced back, giving him that half-grin again. "How else are you supposed to get better than me?"

And then he was gone, leaving Tommy with an empty bowl, a lot of thoughts, and a settled feeling he hadn't had in days.


End file.
